Six Positive Principles for Proper Practice | Part 1

Is the Bible book of rules were book principles listen to Adrian Rogers. The Bible is not primarily a rule. The Bible is primarily a guide, but I'm glad that it is a book of right principles.

If the Bible were book of my rules and law.

You need a freight train to carry around. You can find loopholes and laws which you can't find loopholes in principle there is a difference welcome to love with finding featuring the guiding lessons and teachings of Adrian Roger.

The Bible is not a book of rules but a book of principles, rules can be manipulated and laws have spot principles are timeless and unchanging. Therefore the Bible is a trusted source to cite when making daily decisions. If you have your Bible turn to first Corinthians chapter 6 will begin in verse 12. As we learn six positive principles to live by, and questions to ask ourselves for a proper daily practice. Again, here's Adrian Rogers with the subject's six positive principles for proper writing this I want to give you today some principles that will help you to make tomorrow decisions of your life.

Now to say that. Listen carefully. There are some great evil eternal standards of right and wrong that have been set by Almighty God, settled by the word of God. Most other know Stamper no equivocation, no apology.

God simply said, this is right and this is wrong. Men and women come and go but the 10 Commandments are here this day in men and women are still being broken. Trying to break God has given his word by having said that, there a lot of issues that are not settled by the 10 Commandments per se, and why is that they want. The Bible is not primarily a rulebook. The Bible is primarily a guidebook.

The Bible is not so much a book of minute laws as the Bible is a book of great principles and I'm glad that it is a book of great principles. I'll tell you three reasons before we ever get into a message if the Bible were book of minute rules and laws. You need a freight train to carry around. I mean there would be so many issues and so many subjects that are, you have to look up that you could not carry your Bible as you carry them out on the your arm out to you something else. Another reason I'm glad if the Bible were book of minute laws and rules. What would relate to one age would not relate to moderate. Can you imagine somebody in Corinth, picking up the word of God and reading thou shalt not go to an R-rated movie, what would that mean to them are thou shall not drive recklessly in the school zone. What would that mean it would mean anything to them at all, which is a principles apply to the first century, and principles can apply to the quintessentially mate. Another reason that I am glad that the Bible is not a book merely of rules, but principles you can find loopholes and laws which you can't find loopholes and principles. There's a difference. And everybody's always looking for a loophole in the vacuum in the 1908, there was a football game between Carlisle and Harvard Paul Harvey told this interesting event in his very popular series. The rest of the story. Now these were football rivals. You know how important put this in to this generation. Just as important back in that generation. Now the coach at Harvard was what we call a purist, that is, he went by the rules, he lived by the fundamentals of the game, but the coach at Carlisle. He was always looking for ways to bend the rules and get around the rules and his claim to fame was what we call today a razzle-dazzle and that day they called it with laugh and that's coach Warner. Coach Warner had just played circuits and he stayed up all night reading rulebook trying to figure out how he could reading rulebook play by the rules and still live with laugh when the game and to be exact. If you know what he did before the game. He had all of the jerseys of his team all and every jersey he had so a football puffed out like this made of cloth. Everybody had a football right there. The men got down on the line and the ball was high. Narragansett up in Everyman out of nobody, nobody knew who attacked him and Carlisle beats and a complaint he said is nothing in the rulebook against so these two coaches. The coach at that Harvard and the coach at Carlisle met. Now they were mortal enemies on the football theme with a respected one another. They met the night before and the coach at at Harvard said to the coach at Carlisle.

You might abuse those jerseys again are you by saying yes, that nothing in the rulebook against coach apartments are so when they met on the field of combat. They were meeting at Harvard the home team and the home team always gets to supply and choose the balls to coach at Harvard, came out all of his team was dressed in the same crimson red jerseys that they always wore out came Carlisle footballs also donated jerseys, but when they reached in the bag and pulled out the footballs that Harvard had prepared every football was crimson red. Harvard won the game. I just tell you that story because to me it's an interesting story of how you can manipulate but as a principal in football.

What is a principal in football play fair play fair value if they use the principal they would not have equivocated about these little rules that they have now. I want to say that to say this about living right. If you are one of these people who just simply try to live by the rules, but not by the principles you're always going to try to figure out a way to bend the rules to do what you want to do now Paul was writing to some very immature people. The Corinthians he said. Hot hot hot. I had to treat you like little children like immature babies because they were wanting to live by rules and not by principles and now the apostle Paul is trying to give them some principles, rules are for kids when you go away from your house.

If you have children you say and you think they're old enough to stay home, which are not quite certain what he did give a lot of rules go let anyone in the house don't play with matches don't do this and don't do that you want to let you grow children hopefully because they're old enough to live by certain principles. Principles for those who mature rules are simply for children and for kids. Let me give you six positive principles for proper practice. They're all going to come right out of this book of first Corinthians are you ready principal number one is the principle that we want the call from the word of God. The principle of expediency if you will in chapter 6 and verse 12 Paul says all things are lawful under me, but all things are not expedient to make up your mind whether not a thing is right or wrong for you. Shall I do this thing, or shall I not do this thing can I practice this or shall not practice this will ask yourself this question not is it lawful, but is it expedient is will I don't know what expedient means well when you think of expedient one of the word you think of you think of explanation and expedition is a journey you're going somewhere. Fiona and expedition, and what the word expedient means is something that brings you to your goal.

Something that brings you to your destination. Every Christian ought to have some God-given goals. Every one of us ought to have a holy ambition in our lives. I have goals for my life. I believe they had been given by God, hammered out on the ambler prayer and visa goals for my life. I can tell whether thing is right or wrong for me number one by this doesn't bring me to my appointed goal or does it hinder me is this activity and anchor that keeps me out of God's harbor, or is it something that propels me toward my God given goal number one. If you have any God-given goals that expediency makes no difference for you that eminent theologian and philosopher Yogi Berra said you have to be careful if you don't know where you're going because you might not get there. You need to know where you're going, what God has laid his hand upon you. This was the greatest goal of the apostle Paul. He said that I might lay hold of that for which God is labeled piano philosophy for your life. Some God-given ambitions and goals do you been for you. A lot of things will be set. You won't have to say this is rider.

This is wrong because of some rule you say this is right are this is wrong for me because it may or may not bring me all my way, it is not expedient for me there some things I don't do. Just simply because they don't help me to reach my God given goal. So what's the first principle principle of expediency is the second principle, the principle of enslavement. Look, if you will in chapter 6, verse 12, all things are lawful in the me, but all things are not expedient. All things are lawful for me by. I will not be brought under the power of any med to be brought under the power means to be enslaved by anything.

You see, Jesus Christ came to set you free in the Bible says if the sun that is the son of God shall make you free, you will be free in the but anything other than Jesus Christ that enslaves you is wrong for you. You say well I not a Christian but I'm not enslaved. Oh yes you are neither serves and the Bible says is the service in the unsaved man is free to do what he wants, but is not free to do as he all and he is free to choose, but is not free to choose the consequences of his choice.

But Jesus proved by that perfect enslavement to his sovereignty sets us free in every other area now. Are you a free person or is this something that has enslaved you are you enslaved by pornography, lust, nicotine, caffeine, rock music, television, sports, appetite, farmer people were killed in America by overeating than they are by poison the sleigh where people were slaves below cigarette about that that the great big 6 foot two, 25 pound man misguiding. I was reading about a person had burgers disease that sometimes you have to amputate a limb. This individual had gone to see the doctor and Ochsner clinic and the doctor said to this individual. If you quit smoking weed on at the California lens notice and above the knee or below the knee is pathetic.

But how easy it is to be enslaved by anything you say will I quit anytime I want to probably you just don't want to do you enslaved and you're kidding yourself. All things are lawful for me, but all things not expedient.

That is, they will bring me to my goal. All things maybe lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of and no man is fully free, who drags a chain with I heard of a man who was in the midst of a battle very furious battle. Recall that this commandment is that I've taken the present matter, so that's wonderful. Bring with you. He said what he won't come closer than you believe you may come yourself. He said he will let me go you wonder who has taken in Jesus and Jesus we are to be set free. I have to watch my getting enslaved by anything other than the Lord Jesus Christ. That's a principal is the third principal and that is the principle of a sample.

Now this time. Fast-forward to first rent is chapter 8 and look with me in verse eight through 13 is a very interesting passage of Scripture but me EM EAT commended us not to God for neither. If we eat are we the better meal or fleet not only the works but take heed lest by any means. This liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that we the keyword is stumbling block for Vinny Mancini which has knowledge sit at meat in the idols temple shall not, the contents of him which is weakly emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols have to rely knowledge shall the week brother parish, for whom Christ died. But when he sends so against the brethren and wound their week contents dissent against Christ.

Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh.

While the world stand lest I make my brother to offend past Rogers. I don't understand the Scripture what is it mean well if I tell you the historical background you would understand what happened. Paul is living in a pagan society where Corinth there were many people who are practicing idol worship and they would practice idol worship with her blood. He sacrifices they would take the very best she and the oxen and the goes and they would sacrifice them to their God and they would sacrifice those but he sacrifices these idol gods. There was the meat had been sacrificed to the island.

Well, they would take that meat and they would bring it to the pagan meat market and put it in a meat market and then a meat market this meat would be sold. Number one, it was the best number two. It was the lowest price and many Christians were saying well it's good stewardship to go down there and by that meat because if you go down and by that meat in the pagan meat market is the very best meat. It's good nutritious for you is not contaminated in any way and we're being good stewards were saving our money with time primary for $0.50 a pound.

And that's that's wonderful. Other people were saying told tell me that you in order to save money or in order to get a better cut of beef that you would eat something that has been used in devil worship that you would eat me that's offered to idols. God hold that you should do such a thing you see on argument to go. Paul said well if you eat meat, you're not in a better and worse. The food cycle changes meat helmet putting something in here as his négligées was here, here, is that you made a better or worse if you eat that meat by the role of the me I want us to question us is take a survey here to view it up to look at how many of you think it would be better to buy you meet there save money get better food, have some extra money to give to the love offering this year I maybe think that would be better. Let me see your hands.

A lot of the good. I meant to say. Well now look, even those better food and all that and even though would be good stewards. I don't have anything to do with any kind of meat is been offered to idols limits the how many of you take the Fifth Amendment let Missy I bet you can understand. Therefore, we're just about split three ways to leaders. The nonreaders and the nonvoters on now that's the way it was a car and actually they did laugh about it there because they were grandma matter.

They were deadly serious about the apostle Paul is approaching this and he's not going to give them a rule he's going to give them a principal below. The principle is the principle is the principle of the example in verse nine he says don't do anything, will be a stumbling block to your brother eating me I don't make any better not going to get worse. But if it causes somebody else to stumble, though, do it and so all those of you voted for eating the meat. This I will pass to Rogers that this kind of offends my intellect well go back to chapter 8 and verse one now is touching things offered on the idols. We all have knowledge, but now watch this knowledge that charity edifies it builds up as you go through life. Don't let your head run away with your heart knowledge puffs you, but love builds a and we're here to operate my love there's some things that I don't do. Not because I think in the doing of them I would be hard for certain things. I don't know because in the doing of them.

Somebody else would be hard.

Somebody else would be cost to stumble. Somebody else may think less of me than they would have if I didn't do it so you can just ask yourself about anything will will it hurt me when it hurt me. You have to ask yourself this bigger question when it hurt somebody else is very selfish simply to ask what hurt me not limited to couple verses for your margin.

But in the margin. Romans 14 verse 13 listen to. Let us not therefore judge one another anymore you not to judge me and I'm not the judge about doubtful things.

Let us not therefore judge one another anymore but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasional fall in his brother's way. What that means is I'm to be very easy on you and I would be very hard on me. I'm not to judge you if you do something that I think you ought not to do, but I'm not to do anything that would cause you to stumble.

Listen to it again. Let us not therefore judge one another anymore but judge this router, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasional fall in his brother's way. Most of us do just the opposite. Don't very easy on ourselves very hard on, but the Scripture says would be very hard on ourselves and very easy on others.

I want to listen. Romans 14 verse 21 and this is a key verse listen to it is good neither to eat flesh nor drink wine nor anything whereby thy brother, stumbling, or is offended or is made weak. That settles the issue of social drinking for me right there you're wondering about social drinking. Is it right or wrong, the socially current, while the apostle Paul says here is good neither to eat me are drink wine or do anything whereby your brother stumbles is offended or is made weak now in America. The problem of alcoholism is a big problem. We got an army of walking the millionaires you are apart from the grace of God, incurable alcoholics.

We got homes that have been turned into hell holes Highway is been turned into slaughter pins because of beverage alcohol, liquor people, they will tell you, you know, moderation is the answer just be moderately a moderate drink, but they never say that everybody starts out a moderate drinker but I say well know, moderation is just like overeating, no matter where he got out over drink was not just like overeating operative people been arrested for driving drunk. I've never heard of anyone arrested for driving fat is a difference and then Elizabeth when you listen to me, moderation is not the answer to the liquor problem is the cause that it everybody who drank got skunk drunk then you could do something about which assist the man of distinction who drinks and encourages other people to as far as I'm concerned, I'm not going to bring the stuff you know why.

Let me just give you this verse listen to it is good. The Bible says needed needed. Listen to is good neither to eat flesh and drink wine nor anything whereby thy brother stumbles or is offended or is made. We see that suppressible loving Sam and coming up tomorrow will hear part two of this important message but maybe today you have questions about who Jesus is about what he means to you. How to begin a relationship with God through Christ. Please go to were discovered. Jesus page@lwf.org/radio you'll find resources and materials that will answer questions you may have about your faith again. Click discovered jesus@lwf.org/radio that like to order a copy of today's message request one by the title. Six positive principles for proper practice. Call us to order at 1877 love God. This message is also part of the insightful back to the basics series for that complete collection all 18 powerful messages. Call that number 1877 love God or order online@lwf.org/radio or you can write us at love worth finding box 38, 600 Memphis, TN 38183 you know many of the messages in this series are also featured in our new resource. The what every Christian ought to know, study utilize that tool it LWF.org/radio.

Thanks so much for joining us in today study remembers Adrian Rogers said knowledge puffs you up, but love builds a we are here to operate by love. Don't let your head run away with your heart today and be sure to tune in tomorrow for the conclusion of this message online where a seminary student wrote to us. Not long ago and said pastor Rogers truly was one of the greatest pastors of our time. Because of this great man of God. I have a passion for theology is messages are timeless. We are so honored to share the profound truth of the gospel. Simply stated by Adrian Rogers at love wayfinding. We believe it's more important now than ever to keep Christ at the center of our homes and to say thank you for your gift this month. We want to send you are. It takes a family booklet collection is bundled features for powerful booklets that deal with family matters with the godly perspective so that you and yours can honor God in your home. Request the bundle when you call with the gift right now at 1877 love God. 877-568-3463 or give online it LWF.org/radio and again thanks for your generous support.

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